Are two hearing aids better than one?

Post on 18th January 2016

At Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care we are often asked ‘Why do I need two hearing aids when I only need one?’

Well, like most things about the human body, our hearing is not straightforward and studies have shown that wearing two hearing aids, in general, are better than one. The reason is we actually don’t hear with our ears but with our brains. Our ears are like radio receivers that capture sound and translate the information into a format the brain can understand to deliver the sound.

So, two hearing aids give you better a balance and quality of hearing and receiving sound, so you can optimise the effectiveness of the hearing aid technology and better detect the direction a sound or voice is coming from.

Wearing two hearing aids is called binaural hearing and balances out your hearing so that you brain is getting all the information it needs, making it easier to hear in noisy environments such as at a party, family gathering or dining out in a restaurant.  If you are only wearing one hearing aid, it can be very tiring and stressful as the brain has to work harder to process the information.

Hearing aid technology is advancing all the time and binaural hearing aids work in unison. They are simple to adjust with just one touch of a button. The volume at which they need to be set is also much lower, making it more natural.

Other advantages of wearing two hearing aids includes being able to detect the direction that sound is coming from. This not only saves embarrassing scenarios but also aid personal safety. When your hearing isn’t balanced, it can be difficult to identify where the source of the sound and you can inadvertently ignore someone who is trying to chat to you. But even more concerning, is you could miss the sound of an approaching vehicle!

And finally, wearing two hearing aids can slow the decline of your hearing. Studies have shown that by stimulating both ears you are more likely to preserve what hearing you have.

Binaural hearing solutions are usually the correct choice in the vast majority of cases, but not every.  At Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care our advice is always to seek professional advice from a qualified hearing audiologist to find out the best solution for you.

To find out more about our hearing care services please visit our home page.